City Council Meeting Tues.: The 49ers' Traffic Jams & the TMOP - Part Two

Dear Santa Clarans,


There are some parts of the Traffic Management and Operations Plan, or TMOP, that are worth flagging.  A short index might help in locating the important parts.  Page numbers shown below are document page numbers:

1.    What data is going to be collected, so that we can challenge any spin on the traffic numbers?:

• See page 4, Table 2-1

2.    Streets in Zip Code 95054 subject to access and/or parking restrictions, "Areas of Parking Prohibitions," and "Measures to Protect Property Owners:"

• See list, page 6, Section 2.2.2
• See page 106, Figure 5.5-3
• See page 107

→  The above is a critical feature of the parking plan.  Recall that the 49ers' stadium boosters sold their "plan" three years ago based on firm guarantees of 'residential intrusion control.'   Now, all of that is out the window.  If you live close to the 49ers' stadium, the amount of parking enforcement you get will depend on how much enforcement you demand.

3.    Neighboring properties are expected to be in use during an NFL event.  Note the inclusion of the Santa Clara Youth Soccer Park.  That's pretty much pro forma at this point, because no one really knows what's going to happen to the YSL:

• See list, page 10, Section 2.2.6

4.    "An illustration of the likely parking facilities for Stadium events is provided in Figure 2-4."  Likely?  After two years of obfuscation by the San Francisco 49ers on exactly this issue, there should be no "likely," but instead firm letters-of-intent and an exact numerical total of parking stalls.  They either have the 21,000 parking spaces they claim, or they do not.  To get most of the story:

• See page 12, Figure 2-4, for "likely" parking facilities
• See page 102, Figure 5.5-1, for "Potential" Stadium Parking Program"
• See page 103, Table 5.5-2, for a count of those "likely" parking spaces

5.    "As described earlier, the parking program [Over three years after Measure Jed was passed!] has not yet been finalized for event day use of off-site parking facilities.":

• See page 101

6.    Page 5 does show the totals of patrons and their estimated arrival and departure rates.  But note that estimated 18,818 vehicle trips does not include the 1,740 vehicle trips made by some 2,900 stadium employees on an NFL game day.  For the straight story on those additional trips - and the parking stalls needed to accommodate them:

• See page 99

7.     Business Owners:  If you refused to agree to the 49ers' offsite parking demands, then you're now on your're own.  Please see the last sentence in the following paragraph:

• See page 104, "Areas of Parking Prohibitions"

►  In sum, considering how long we've been waiting for it, the Transportation Management and Operations Plan should have (1) a rock-solid description of a fully-formed Parking Overlay District, and (2) at least some indication of the makeup of the NFL event-day multicity police force needed to squeeze the 49ers' traffic jams into parking spaces.   Unfortunately, it contains neither.   Residents on Santa Clara's north side, in particular,  should have serious concern over what this plan fails to make firm.

If you need any additional information on the TMOP, we'll be happy to answer any questions we're able to.  What we don't know, we'll find out.

We welcome your commentary as well - but comments you have on the TMOP should also be directed to the Mayor and the City Council.  Please let them know what you think.


Thanks for all of your support,
William F. "Bill" Bailey, Treasurer,
http://www.SantaClaraPlaysFair.org

-=0=-